Paving block and roadway constructed therefrom



1. b. FLETCHER. PAVING BLOCK AND ROADWAY CONSTHUCTED THEREFROM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22, I9]?!- 1,422,551; Patented my 111, 11922.

i1: STTES JOHN D. FLETCHER, 0F EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July it, M522.

Application filed September 22, 1919. Serial No. 325,388.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN D. FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg' and State of Indiana, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Paving Blocks and Roadways Constructed Therefrom, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to paving blocks and roadways constructed therefrom, and has for an object to provide an improved form of paving block with improved means for laying a plurality of such blocks in association to form an improved roadway.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the block unit,

Figure 2 is a view of the roadway constructed from the block units shown at Figure 1 taken transversely of the line of travel, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view taken in the direction of the line of travel.

The improved roadway which basically forms the subject matter of this application, comprises a plurality of blocks individually indicated at 10; Such blocks 10 may be composed of any usual and ordinary or approved material, such for instance, a cementitious composition, vitrified compositions, asphaltic composition, or the like, the invention not being limited in any manner to the material composing the blocks 10.

The blocks 10 are provided upon their opposite sides of largest area with furrows 11 extending the lon er dimension of the block and provided Wit inclined marginal sides 12, such inclinations forming a furrow.

wider at its exterior than. its interior limit by a widely divergent angle.

In constructing the roadway from the individual blocks, a cushion of sand 13 is placed upon the previously prepared earth 1% and the blocks 10 positioned upon this sand cushion with their sides of longest and narrowest dimension in engagement with the cushion and the opposite equivalent surface uppermost to produce the roadway. At the opposite edges of the roadway consisting of the plurality of blocks so positioned upon the said cushion, a curb or retaining wall is produced from other blocks 10 comprising a lower or base course 15 and upper or retaining course 16, which are imbedded, the block 15 wholly in the earth, except for its upper edge engaging on one side the sand cushion, and the upper blocks 16 between the 1Lejagth and the blocks constituting the road- The interstices formed by the registering furrows 11 are filled with cementitious material 17, such cementitious material being likewise used in the furrow between the row of curb blocks 16 and the end of the blocks forming the road-bed.

Also in laying the blocks for the road-bed, the joints are broken as indicated more particularly at Figure 2, so that with the blocks connected by the cementitious material 17 the equivalent of a monolithic structure is provided, whereby the stress of trafiic upon the road-bed is distributed substantially over the entire width of the road-bed and onto the curb course. This unitary construction produces a road-bed of great resisting and wearing powers and quality compared to the cost of material and installation, and while the road-bed thus produced is such as insure long life, the units may, nevertheless, be quite easily replaced when for any reason the road-bed thus produced requires renewal in whole or in part. It is obvious that the blocks 10 being moulded of uniform size and shape may be replaced individually if found necessary.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a roadway, a plurality of blocks having furrows formed longitudinally of their side of greatest dimension, a layer of sand beneath and forming a bed for the blocks, said blocks being spaced from each other, some of said blocks being arranged in parallel courses upon opposite sides of and to form curbs for the road bed each parallel course being spaced from the blocks forming the road and consisting of two layers of blocks, one above the other and in spaced In witness whereof, I have hereunto set 10 relation, the upper surfaces of the lower my hand and seal at Evansville, Indiana, layer of blocks extending approximately to this 5th day of September, A. D. nineteen the level of the sand forming the road-bed hundred and nineteen.

and thereby preventin it bein Washed away or otherwise dislodged, all of said JOHN FLETCHER spaces being adapted to receive a cementi- Witnesses:

tious material whereby every block is spaced GEO. J. GI LIoK, from every other block. M. E. HARDING. 

